Connor Sneaks Out
by Elianna22
Summary: Connor Pickett-Martin won't let being grounded stop him from going to the coolest party of the year. As usual, Zack is one step ahead.


**A/N: Hello, dear readers! The idea for this tale has been around for a while. Enjoy! : )**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns Zack Martin. I own everyone else.**

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**Connor Sneaks Out**

* * *

Connor Pickett-Martin finished arranging the pillows under the blanket on his bed and stood back to admire his handiwork. Capped with a shaggy blond wig left over from Halloween, the pillows convincingly resembled a sleeping body.

_Perfect._ He exhaled a sigh of relief.

Now all he had to do was wait. And sweat. He had never sneaked out before, not once in his entire fifteen years. Tonight would be a first.

Stationed by the window, he peered out at the streetlamps casting shadows across the lawn and the neighours' garage, and the other darkened houses in this sleepy slice of north Dallas suburbia. A typical quiet Friday night—except that he was about to sneak out because he was grounded, forced to spend evenings and weekends in his room for a week.

The crime had been committed the previous Friday, spurred by Farshad Nazarov's discovery that Fountain of Slime would be playing an all-ages show in Austin that evening. No other band in the universe rocked reggae-hiphop-metal like Fountain of Slime. The opportunity was too amazing to pass up, and thankfully they wouldn't have to. Now that Farshad had a car, they were free men, kings of the open road. Farshad also had a Friday afternoon spare—granting them an early departure. That Connor did not was a mere technicality.

Or it had been, until Ms. Kromansky, Connor's algebra teacher, caught him slipping through the west-wing doors of Hillcrest High School at two-thirty.

Being grounded was no big deal. Connor could handle it. If nothing else, it gave him plenty of extra time to study for Ms. Kromansky's algebra test. The big problem arose when Brock's cousin's parents decided to go away for the weekend, and Brock's cousin decided to throw a party—the coolest party of the year, guaranteed. Everybody who was anybody would be there, Farshad had told him.

However, the even bigger problem was Connor's dad, who decreed that like a bank week, grounding sentences always began on a Monday. Which meant that Connor was grounded until this Sunday.

"But I was already grounded _last_ Saturday and Sunday," he protested, upon learning that he wouldn't be allowed to go to the party. "I've served an entire week. Why can't you make an exception? Just this once?"

"Because," said Dad.

"Because why?"

"Because you live in a dad-tatorship, that's why," Dad replied with patented smugness.

"More like a DICK-tatorship," Connor couldn't help muttering under his breath.

"What was that?" Dad asked pleasantly. "Angling for an extra week, are you?"

"No..."

"Right, now move it, mister."

Connor slunk back to his room. He knew when to quit.

Luckily he also knew when _not_ to quit. Shooting a triumphant gaze at his bed, he mentally patted himself on the back. The pillows and wig were doing their job. His little sisters were at a sleepover, and his parents had gone to bed early. The coast was as clear as it was going to get.

He pulled out his cellphone. Ten twenty-eight. Misti MacRae had texted him exactly eight minutes ago. _See you in ten minutes._

Misti... His stomach muscles melted together, like they always did when he thought about Misti. If circumstances unfolded just so, if he played his cards right and astral bodies aligned themselves favourably, tonight could maybe, possibly be the night he got to second base with Misti. Or at least first-and-a-half base.

The phone lit up in his hand. A text from Farshad._ Operation Awesome. Go._

Down the street a pair of headlights blinked once.

_Creak._

Crap, what was that? Connor's eyes darted wildly around the bedroom, his scalp prickling. Was Operation Awesome over before it could start?

When no parent barged in, he concluded the noise had been his imagination.

Gently, stealthily, he eased up the bottom window pane, letting in the balmy spring air. The ground was less than five feet below. Whoever designed the ranch house must not have had kids, he determined as he stretched one lanky leg over the sill. It took only a few seconds to push through and stretch out his other leg. Breath held, he hopped down.

And sent himself sprawling into his mom's immaculately trimmed rhododendron bushes.

* * *

"What in the Sam Hill is taking him so long?" Brock hissed.

"Don't worry, he's coming," said Farshad, watching Connor flail in the bushes.

"Hmmmm?" Misti, sitting beside Ash in the back seat, looked up from filing her nails.

Ash kept playing his Game Boy, oblivious to the activity in the car.

"Just honk the horn at him already." Brock reached for the horn, but Farshad fended him off.

"Chill, man, he knows we're here."

As the two continued to scuffle, the headlights flicked on and the car began to rock.

* * *

Connor scrambled to his feet. _OK, I'm good. I totally meant to do that._

Glancing about, he saw the headlights of Farshad's car flashing like strobe lights. _What the heck are y'all doing?_ he wondered, brushing dirt from his red Aéropostale t-shirt and jeans.

Satisfied that the coast was still clear, he headed for the street, sticking to areas shadowed by trees separating his family's property from the neighbours'. Along the way he raised a hand furtively to wave to his friends and tell them to quit it with the headlights.

As he approached the curb, a slight pressure on his ankle hardly registered. Then...

_Click._

He looked down to see a wire shimmering in the grass like a snake. A tripwire? His eyes followed it instinctively, but by the time he saw the air cannon, a silver gleam behind a rose bush, it was already too late.

_Nooo... _

He couldn't move fast enough, couldn't escape the clump of slime flying at him in faux slow motion.

_SPLAAAT!_

* * *

All four occupants of the car froze, even Ash.

"Oh, shit," said Farshad.

* * *

Connor stumbled backwards, face dripping with slime. Moments later, a second explosion of slime splattered across his chest, then a third hit his face, knocking him to the grass.

"Urrgh..." He managed to stand and wipe the thick green goo from his eyes.

In the distance he could make out Farshad pointing behind him frantically.

"Huh?" Just as Connor turned to look, a jet of ice-cold water slammed into the side of his head.

"Owwww!" He flopped to his knees, dazed and gurgling. What the hell was going on?

* * *

"Book it, book it," yelled Brock.

Farshad gunned the engine. The car lurched to the left, jerking Ash, Misti, and Brock sideways as he made a quick U-turn. Tires screeching, the car rocketed into the night.

* * *

At last the water stopped. Connor felt his hair plastered to his forehead and rivulets of slime running down his cheeks. His clothes were stuck to his body, completely soaked.

Still sputtering, he looked up to see his dad, dressed in his house-coat, garden hose in hand and one eyebrow raised.

_Uh oh..._

"Uh oh," Connor said. His heart launched into a crazy thumping beat.

_Now_ Operation Awesome was over.

"Oh yeah, 'uh oh,' " said Dad, a dooming finality to his voice. "Busted!"

"All right, all right," Connor surrendered, not that he had a choice. "I get it, I'm grounded again, aren't I?"

"Most definitely," Dad agreed.

"Fine." Connor staggered to his feet and started trudging toward the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Connor stopped to glare. "I'm grounded." His teeth had begun to chatter. "Shouldn't I go to my room?"

Dad laughed with mock cruelty. "I'm not letting you back in the house covered in slime."

"But–" Before Connor could say anything else, yet another blast of water drenched him.

****The End****

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**A/N: This one-shot was inspired by reviews for Chapter 3 of **_**Never Be Another Tonight**_** where Connor reflects on his relationship with his parents before telling them he won't be home for Christmas. Plenty of you commented that you could picture Zack drenching Connor with a hose as punishment for sneaking out to a party while grounded. **

**If you haven't already, please check out the annual Suite Life Awards, in which a wide range of stories have been nominated, including **_**Repercussions: Part 2**_** and **_**Never Be Another Tonight**_**. To readers celebrating Christmas this week, have a merry one, and to all, I hope you get some time off over the holiday break! Xoxoxo – Ellie**


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